David’s Address about the Temple
28 Now David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the commanders of the divisions that served the king, and the commanders of thousands, and the commanders of hundreds, and the overseers of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, with the officials and the mighty men, even all the valiant men. 2 Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brethren and my people; I had [a]intended to build a [b]permanent home for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for the footstool of our God. So I had made preparations to build it. 3 But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for My name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ 4 Yet, the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever. For He has chosen Judah to be a leader; and in the house of Judah, my father’s house, and among the sons of my father He took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. 5 Of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons), He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. 6 He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be a son to Me, and I will be a father to him. 7 I will establish his kingdom forever if he resolutely performs My commandments and My ordinances, as [c]is done now.’ 8 So now, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek after all the commandments of the Lord your God so that you may possess the good land and bequeath it to your sons after you forever.
9 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with [d]a whole heart and a willing [e]mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. 10 Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be courageous and act.”
As David challenges his son to pursue God with his whole heart, he also reminds all gathered to follow the commandments of God for themselves. It wasn’t good enough for just the king to follow God, and for them to expect things to go well. They all needed to be dedicated to serving God, or things would go sideways in a hurry.
So it is for us, we can’t just expect our pastor, or our family, or parents to follow God, and that’ll be good enough for us. No, we must pursue him ourselves, with our whole heart, for “the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts.”
You can’t fool God or fake him out, you’re either for him or against him, and he knows those who are his own. Put away all pretense, and choose for yourself today. Will you choose God and choose life today?